Spotify reveals top 10 exported Amapiano tracks and artists, with over 2 billion streams
Spotify, the popular online music streaming platform, recently unveiled the top 10 exported Amapiano tracks on its platform, according to a statement by Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, the Managing Director for Spotify in Sub-Saharan Africa. Amapiano is a sub-genre of house music that originated in South Africa in the mid-2010s, characterized by a fusion of deep house, jazz, and lounge music with synths and wide percussive bass lines. Muhutu-Remy listed the top exported Amapiano tracks as Abo Mvelo (feat. Mellow & Sleazy & M.J), Love & Loyalty (Believe), Ameno Amapiano Remix (You Wanna Bamba), Big Flexa, Hamba Wena, WATAWI (feat. Davido, Focalistic & Abidoza), Abalele, Mina Nawe, Champion Sound, and Tanzania.
Moreover, Muhutu-Remy shared the top exported Amapiano artists on Spotify, including DJ Maphorisa, Kabza De Small, Focalistic, Young Stunna, Mellow & Sleazy, DBN Gogo, Costa Titch, Major League Djz, Kamo Mphela, and Daliwonga. She added that Amapiano’s unique sound and infectious beats have captured audiences worldwide, and its success is expected to continue as more artists emerge and push the genre’s boundaries. Spotify’s biggest Amapiano playlist, Amapiano grooves, is most popular among 18 to 24-year-olds, with listeners from countries such as South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America, Mozambique, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.
Muhutu-Remy noted that Spotify’s platform has helped Amapiano expand its reach and connect the genre to a diverse global audience, with over 2 billion streams in 2022, representing a 143% increase year on year. Over 40% of Amapiano streams come from listeners outside South Africa, with more than 240,000 playlists featuring Amapiano in the title and over 10 million playlists featuring at least one Amapiano track. She added that Amapiano is arguably South Africa’s hottest cultural export right now and to showcase the genre, Spotify is hosting media and influencers from across the continent on an Amapiano tourism experience.
The experience is designed around some of Spotify’s most popular Amapiano playlists and highlights South African and Amapiano culture for guests from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa. The tour offers an Amapiano 101 segment detailing the background of the genre, a tour of its origins in townships like Mamelodi, and exploring other popular Amapiano spots in Soweto. The Amapiano Grooves segment showcases the impact of clubs on the music and tells a cultural story like Mogodu Monday, the tradition of celebrating the least popular day of the week with Mogodu or tripe, and music. Participants also get the opportunity to meet local artists in the studio and see where the music happens.
Finally, Nigerian artist WurlD, who attended the first day of the tour, explained why Amapiano is so popular around the world, stating that music is spiritual, and Amapiano is spiritual, capturing the heart and soul of the people of South Africa. The genre’s popularity and steady growth, coupled with a dedicated fanbase, demonstrate that Amapiano is poised to continue its success on Spotify and beyond.